Meet the man wanting to become Gloucestershire's suburban police

Harry thinks National Guard Private Security will soon be taken on by communities to do the roles he says police no longer have the resources to

Bad guys beware, a new sheriff is in town – and he can protect you and your home for as little as £10 a week.

Harry Trayler runs National Guard Private Security from his control room at his Churchdown home – and has big plans to expand to take over roles traditionally done by our boys and girls in blue.

He believes his firm could soon be conducting foot patrols, identifying criminals and even performing citizen’s arrests on those found flouting the law as there is a clear market from suburbs who want a more uniformed presence.

He claims his new service will revolutionise home security by offering a range of personal protection plans for individual homes as well as collective groups.

“What works in security is being seen. That’s the only truly effective deterrent,” he said.

“CCTV is useless because criminals just hide their faces. Alarm systems are a waste of time too.

“The public want reassurance. They want to know they’re being protected. They want to know someone’s out there waiting for their call.

“I can guarantee crime levels will drop in the areas I patrol in.

“Like the police, I have an instinct. I have a scent, it’s in my blood. The general public may not pick up on it but I’m always switched on.

“I can pick up on the bad guys, they stick out like a sore thumb. I’ll be in Tesco with my partner and I’ll be following shoplifters around. I pick up on stuff like that immediately.”

With a fluorescent jacket, stab vest, walkie-talkie and driving a marked van very similar to the official constabulary’s fleet, Harry says the close comparison is intentional.

“I am basically bringing back the bobby on the beat,” he said.

“If you ask most people what they want to see more of from the police, they’ll say they want to see more officers patrolling the streets.

“With police cuts we have less officers on patrol than ever before and it’s not going to change anytime soon. If anything, things are going to get worse.

“The police can’t provide the same assurances to people that they did in the past.”

While deciding against joining the force himself, it does run in the family as his grandfather rose to the rank of Chief Inspector in Gloucestershire.

He said while he always advises customers to phone the police first to report an incident, he will be on hand if the need arises.

“I want to bring back that sense of security people felt on the streets back in my grandfather’s day when he was in the police,” he said.

“After working in security for five years I saw the limitations placed on the police. I want to fill that vacuum created by the police cuts.

“I want to be the friendly face that is round your home within minutes of you making the call, to sit down with you and reassure you you’re safe.

“Helping people and standing up for what is right is in my blood.”

Harry believes security firms like his are a growing trend and will soon become the norm, mirroring what is seen in America – and he has big plans for expanding.

“It’s completely normal in the States to see private police patrolling neighbourhoods. They look very similar to police, they apprehend criminals and even carry guns. It’s an accepted part of life,” he said.

“In five years time I will have a supervisor operating a control room in every county in the South West.

“In ten years, I want to see it going national with control rooms and fleets of security officers patrolling urban areas throughout the UK.”

In extreme cases of self-defence, if Harry considers his life in danger, he can use his criminal identifier spray to mark a suspect with a special red dye.

The special dye, which is nearly impossible to wash off for several days, can be used to mark the face and hands of suspects to make them identifiable to police.

“I will then send them a report of the incident and put them in touch with the victim.”

Harry set up National Guard after working around the clock as a security guard and saving for six years to make his dream a reality but says he’s now ready to hit the streets, and is even looking to recruit others soon.